237: Ancient ruins

The transport helicopter landed in a relatively flat river valley surrounded by mountains, and the fierce winds stirred up by the propellers flattened large patches of wild grass.

Lu Jianchuan was the first to jump out, warily scanning the surrounding lush and silent Mountain Forest.

Shen Mingyuan, Wei Ziqing, and Cynthia followed closely, each carrying basic detection equipment and lightweight tactical gear.

Almost simultaneously, another smaller helicopter, painted with the insignia of the Cultural Relics Department, landed nearby. Stepping out was a white-haired, vigorous old Professor Chen. He wore a sun hat and carried an old compass.

Following him were two young people, a man and a woman, both his graduate students. The man, Xiao Wu, carried a heavy instrument case, and the woman, Xiao Liu, held a tablet and a camera. Both wore expressions mixing the fatigue of the long journey with the excitement of impending fieldwork.

"Professor Chen, thank you for making this trip." Shen Mingyuan stepped forward to shake hands, acting as the nominal "Cultural Project Consultant" responsible for liaison.

"Not at all, not at all!" Professor Chen's voice was booming, and his eyes eagerly scanned the surrounding mountains. "If we truly find something here, it could be a major discovery that shakes the academic world! 'Cuan Ling'... If it really exists and we can find concrete evidence, it won't just be a matter of 'five thousand years.' It could push the origins of our civilization into a much older and more complex dimension! The thought alone is exciting!"

After brief introductions and pleasantries, the team consolidated. Besides the four core investigation members and Professor Chen's three students, there were two accompanying GUPA plainclothes security personnel responsible for basic perimeter security and communication support. The number of people was small, but considering the actual combat strength of Lu Jianchuan and the others, it was sufficient to handle most emergencies.

"According to satellite remote sensing data and interpreted local gazetteer clues, the area with the highest concentration of anomalous signals should be on the south slope of the mountain ahead—backed by the mountain and facing the water, the terrain is relatively secluded." Xiao Liu operated the tablet, pointing toward a densely forested peak not far away.

"Hmm, it makes sense from a Feng Shui perspective." Professor Chen stroked his beard, squinting as he surveyed the terrain. "When ancient people chose a site, especially for settlements or sacrificial grounds of a certain size, they paid great attention to 'Hiding Wind and Qi Gathering.'

"In my opinion, if there is truly an entrance or main relic area, it is unlikely to be directly exposed on the mountaintop or a steep slope. It is more likely to be on a gentle terrace halfway up the mountain, or... a hidden spot where the foot of the mountain meets the river channel, utilizing natural rock caves or involving localized excavation."

Combining the geological map with his own experience, he circled several priority exploration areas on the map. The team immediately set off, advancing along the rugged mountain path toward the target zone.

Upon reaching the designated area, everyone divided the labor. Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu operated equipment such as Ground Penetrating Radar and Resistivity Imaging Instruments to scan the surface, searching for anomalies in the underground structure.

Professor Chen, meanwhile, used a magnifying glass to carefully examine the exposed rocks and soil layers, looking for traces of artificial processing. Lu Jianchuan and the others also participated in the basic search while maintaining high vigilance.

The high-tech equipment quickly showed results. About three meters below a gentle slope covered in moss and shrubs, radar echoes indicated a regular cavity structure extending into the mountain body.

"We've got something!" Xiao Wu shouted excitedly.

Having determined the approximate range, the next task was to clear the topsoil and vegetation. The two security personnel and Wei Ziqing took turns digging, using entrenching tools and specialized lightweight breaching equipment.

Shen Mingyuan and Cynthia were responsible for perimeter security, while Lu Jianchuan joined Professor Chen in carefully observing the excavated soil and rocks, looking for any signs of cultural layers.

The excavation progressed smoothly. As the topsoil and rubble were stripped away layer by layer, traces of artificial construction gradually appeared below—large stones neatly stacked. Although severely weathered, the joints were still visible.

As the clearing area expanded, the outline of a stone-built doorway, wide enough for two people, sloping downwards and half-buried by dirt and rubble, gradually appeared before everyone. Above the lintel, faint, complex patterns that were hard to decipher seemed to be carved.

"We found it! It really is the entrance!" Professor Chen's voice trembled with excitement. Ignoring the dirt, he leaned in to carefully observe the patterns. Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu quickly stepped forward to take photos and document it.

Looking at the ancient stone door that was gradually revealing its true appearance, Wei Ziqing (Hero Shadow) couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow... it's really been dug out! This gate looks so... ancient!" He leaned closer, staring at the blurred patterns on the lintel, then suddenly seemed to remember something. He turned around and asked with curiosity and uncertainty, "Hey, should we... light a candle in the southeast corner later? I see them do that in all those adventure movies; they say it's the rule..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Professor Chen, who was beside him, adjusted his glasses and shook his head, looking exasperated yet amused: "Comrade Xiao Wei, we must reject feudal superstition! We are conducting scientific archaeological exploration, which relies on empirical evidence and logic. Lighting candles is just a novelist's fabrication, not to be taken seriously. Behind this stone door is the accumulation of history, not demons or monsters."

Hearing this, Cynthia, standing a little further away, glanced at Wei Ziqing with her deep blue eyes. Her tone was flat but carried a hint of subtle teasing: "You really think too much." She paused, then, seeing Wei Ziqing's look—both excited and faintly apprehensive—she added, "If you're scared, you can walk at the back later."

"Who, who's scared!" Wei Ziqing immediately straightened his back, trying to make his voice sound righteous. "I just... just asked! About the rules, it never hurts to ask... right, Lawyer Shen?" He tried to seek support, but his eyes darted around, clearly feeling guilty.

Shen Mingyuan suppressed a laugh and patted his shoulder: "Alright, caution is good. But Professor Chen is right, we rely on science and equipment. How do we open the door? Direct demolition or finding the mechanism?"

After hearing Wei Ziqing's "candle lighting" suggestion, Professor Chen shook his head, exasperated yet amused. He then refocused on the stone door, stroking his beard thoughtfully: "Ideally, we should find the opening mechanism set up by the ancients and push it open, causing minimal disturbance to the ruins. Direct demolition is the absolute last resort, as the destructive nature is too great and could damage the internal structure or even the artifacts."

Shen Mingyuan observed the tightly fitted joints of the stone door and interjected: "But too much time has passed, Professor. According to legend, this thing might have been sealed for far more than five thousand years. Any wooden or delicate mechanical mechanism is probably long decayed. Violent means might be efficient, but as you said, the destruction is irreversible."

Wei Ziqing stepped forward again and patted the belt around his waist: "Then... what if I transform and cut it open? It's very sharp; it should be able to cleanly slice through the bolt or hinge area, right?"

Professor Chen quickly waved his hands, as if afraid he might actually draw a sword:

"No! Absolutely not! Comrade Xiao Wei, no matter how sharp your sword is, the act of cutting itself is damage to the artifact.

Look at the surface of this stone door. Although weathered, it likely has important carvings or inscriptions. Even a single scratch would be an irreparable loss of historical information. Let's keep looking, let's look more carefully."

While everyone was gathered around the stone door, carefully feeling and tapping it, trying to find possible weak points or hidden mechanisms, Shen Mingyuan stepped back a few paces, gave Lu Jianchuan and Cynthia a look, and murmured:

"I'll try a different way of 'seeing'."

His left arm rose.

Under everyone's gaze, he quickly completed his transformation, the matte black shadow armor instantly covering his body. Without any unnecessary movements or explanations, he closed his deep red visor and activated the Ultrasonic Perception Mode.

A burst of low-frequency sound waves, inaudible to ordinary people, spread out from him. The "echoes" returning after hitting the stone door and the surrounding rock face constructed an extremely detailed three-dimensional structural image in his mind.

The thickness of the stone door, the possible internal support structure, the way it was embedded into the surrounding rock... every detail was revealed.

His "gaze" penetrated the weathered outer stone layer, scanning every minute joint and point of density anomaly.

Soon, he "saw" it. On the right side of the stone door, at about a person's height, there was an internal "cavity" component that differed slightly from the surrounding stone and had a more intricate structure. Although mostly filled with mineral deposits, its basic form was still discernible, and an extremely subtle trace of a transmission mechanism extended toward the inner side of the door.

Shen Mingyuan deactivated the Perception Mode, opened his visor, and extended a finger covered in black armor, pressing precisely on the spot locked onto in the ultrasonic image.

He applied a stable and sustained pressure, not a forceful push, but more like a tentative "activation."

Initially, there was no reaction. Just as Professor Chen, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Liu were starting to feel disappointed, believing the mechanism had long failed—

"Click... Rattle..."

A dull, sluggish sound of stones grinding, as if accumulated over countless ages, faintly drifted from inside the stone door. Dust silently fell from the edges of the door frame.

Immediately afterward, under the rapt attention of everyone holding their breath, the heavy stone door, which had seemed integral to the mountain body, slowly opened inward with a jarring, grinding sound, revealing a gap. It then opened wider and wider, finally swinging completely open, exposing the deep, unknown darkness beyond, and a rush of cool air mixed with the scent of earth and the silence of ages.